Secret ballot debate grows as charter talks proceed

Turkey's parliament has approved the first two items of an 18-article constitutional amendment package to shift the current parliamentary system to an executive presidency by respective votes of 343 and 347 amid serious opposition criticism over government MPs' violations of the requirement to vote secretly. 

"The result of [the votes on] these two articles indicate that the proposal will be accepted by parliament by around 340-350 votes," Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ told private broadcaster A Haber on Jan. 11.

The first article approved on late Jan. 10 altered the ninth article of the Constitution - "the judicial power shall be exercised by independent courts on behalf of the Turkish Nation" - to read "independent and impartial courts."

The second vote passed a motion to increase the number of the lawmakers in the 550-seat parliament to 600.

The first two votes showed that almost all MPs from the Justice and Development (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) voted for the package, with the government saying it expected the entire package to receive a similar level of votes, which would thus bring the document to a referendum.

While Bozdağ stated confidence in future sessions, voting in the general assembly witnessed a heated debate on the "secret ballot" procedure, after ruling lawmakers sought to cast an open ballot during the voting session.

Even though Bozdağ said the current constitution stipulates that "the secret concealment of the vote," Health Minister Recep Akdağ refused to vote secretly, drawing opprobrium from the opposition.

"I might have been violating the law. What's it to you?" Akdağ told them on Jan. 10, prompting a brawl as opposition lawmakers accused Akdağ of violating the...